Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar, who is facing a highly competitive GOP primary challenge, today was ruled ineligible to vote in his home precinct, the Indianapolis Star reported.

The Marion County Election Board voted 2-1 along party lines that Lugar and his wife, Charlene, who own a home in Virginia, had effectively abandoned their residence in the county and therefore could no longer vote there. Only the panel's lone Republican voted to let the Lugars keep their eligibility.

The newspaper, however, cited election board attorneys who said the Lugars could resubmit voter registrations using an address of a family member or possibly the Lugar family farm. Lugar had been using an outdated address for a home he no longer owns in Indiana. Lugar has been dogged for months by the revelation that he has been staying in hotels when returning to Indiana for state work.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee highlighted the news of his ineligibility in an email to reporters. The committee believes its chances of winning the state with Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) this year would increase if Lugar loses the primary to state Treasurer Richard Mourdock.